A Radical Read

Friends! I’ve been away and I’ve missed you! If you follow my “blurbs” here or on DoAhead Woman’s Face Book page you know that my tribe and I have been neck-deep in a remodel and an upcoming family gathering.

Just to give you a flavor of our life, seven days ago my advice to Doc was this.

They’ll only care about, food, beds and toilets (and not necessarily in that order.)

My pep talk was meant to encourage my hunny after his third trip into the cavernous bowel that houses the lift station. It pumps the “ick” from our sewer up to the street where it meets with city plumbing.

“Ya’ll” will be glad to know we were able to care for all our family needs (input and output) over the course of a glorious Fourth of July.

That being said, I regret that our crazies kept me from you. But I’m back and I have a special treat. The first Wednesday of the month is when Dana shares her heart and words of wisdom. Her writing today struck me as a poem. It also ties in perfectly to a personal event from our family weekend.

One of our nephews is getting married this fall. Sunday, all the Aunties, cousins and future SIL’s hosted a bridal shower. It was such a treat to welcome this beautiful soul into the family. I had the honor of sharing a few words. (Shocking…I know. Me + Words = No Surprise.)

As I prayed over what to share, I reflected on what has been most important in my own marriage. Doc and I have been at it for nearly thirty years. It would be safe to say we’re consistently inconsistent with most marriage strategies. With the exception of one——–

We take to to heart God’s word.

I determined that the most important thing I could share with the future bride was a word of encouragement regarding the Word.

Here’s where I need to let Dana take over. She’s communicated with far more eloquence what this Ol’ Auntie was trying to say. Read it and be blessed. 🙂 {Be sure and stop by tomorrow. I’ll be posting with the #livefree community on what it means to be salty!}

**************************************

It’s no ordinary book.

As my eyes take in the type on the pages, the words form messages that capture my mind and penetrate my heart. Something stirs within.

A swirl of insight and inspiration ripples through my spirit. Revelations, both sudden and slow, dawn like a sunrise in my soul. Breathtaking. Captivating.

And I wonder at it all.

I’ve read it before. The pages are the same. The words have not changed. Yet somehow, every new read unveils a mystery once hidden—now laid explicitly bare—prompting a fresh response. Eliciting a raw reaction.

I revel in new understanding, all the while resigned to knowing I don’t truly understand. I cannot…but I long to anyway. Drawn irresistibly to know more, see more, believe more.

It’s no ordinary book. It’s the Living Book—2000 years old and yet not only relevant, but critical. Life-changing. Life-giving…to anyone who will read.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

~ Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT

Your DoAhead Friend,

Dana

Dana is a lifelong lover of words with a passion for sharing stories of the heart—both her own and others. Her writings draw from her experiences as a woman, a writer, a wife, a mother of three, and a Bible-believing Jesus follower. She is a defender of truth, an avid proponent of common sense and a recovering (often relapsing) perfectionist still learning to lean in to grace. Her writing is an honest outpouring of her introverted heart, driven by a longing to inspire others to feel deeply, think critically and act compassionately. Dana shares her words as a monthly contributor at DoAhead Woman.